


And We Were Not Made For Unknowns

by tuesdaymarch



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Universe, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Teacher-Student Relationship, Team STRQ - Freeform, cloqwork, ozqrow - Freeform, qrowpin, slightly AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-19 10:42:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11311725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuesdaymarch/pseuds/tuesdaymarch
Summary: Qrow didn't expect too much out of attending Beacon Academy - perhaps just a safer place to live, somewhere to hone his skills. He wasn't expecting to find a new family. And he certainly wasn't expecting to fall in love.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, I hope you all enjoy this Ozqrow & team STRQ fic. Just a heads up - this is technically an AU, because it doesn't entirely follow the canon RWBY universe, but it's still set in the RWBY universe. Does that make sense? It's the same setting and characters, but with some details changed. Hopefully it's not too confusing. Please feel free to leave feedback, or just talk to me about the fic!

To anyone who had known them in the time before, it would've been surprising to discover that the Branwen twins had enrolled at Beacon Academy. Granted, they were a little late - already nearing nineteen years old by the time they started their first year - but that hardly changed anything. In fact, it could well be argued that waiting that bit longer gave the tribe they were raised by a little extra time to indoctrinate them fully. 

But that wasn't the case. Qrow and Raven Branwen applied to Beacon Academy early one Spring, and were accepted first time despite never having attended a combat school. Perhaps some of the other students in their year were jealous, but they didn't show it; the twins didn't interact enough with their peers to discover any envy from anyone who hadn't been accepted into the school. The two of them went through the entire application process unscathed, a welcome change from their prior lifestyle. 

They arrived at Beacon in the late Summer of that same year, hackles raised and red eyes kept wide open. Less than two years experience over the majority of their fellow first-years clearly wasn't enough to make the siblings that wary, and so bizarre rumours spread fast.  _I heard they're renegades, on the run from some crime organisation_ , the hallways whispered.  _Someone told me that they killed their parents._

_Well, not all of you are wrong,_ Qrow would think to himself, scowling at any student he overheard badmouthing him and his sister. He couldn't say he particularly liked Raven, but he certainly felt protective over her: maybe it was the training of the tribe still hammered into his subconscious, but he wouldn't stand for anyone treating her badly. 

He wanted to leave their past behind. He wanted the murmurs in the corridors to stop. The averted gazes, the hurried apologies, the words spoken behind fingers. But Raven wasn't quite like that - she was still proud of their upbringing, at least to some extent. Qrow simply wanted a sense of belonging. 

~~~~~

The twins' first day at Beacon went rather smoothly, considering the high levels of anxiety that spiked in Qrow's chest whenever he'd even  _thought_ about it for the past few months. Raven was calmer, but perhaps seemed even more guarded; she gave the impression that stepping too close to her might singe the soles of your shoes and scorch the tip of your nose. 

"This all seems very grandiose," Qrow muttered to his sister as they walked slowly up to the front entrance of the school. She side-eyed him, huffing a miniscule laugh through her nostrils. 

"I have to agree," Raven replied. Her scarlet eyes were narrowed a little as she surveyed the landscape: the pale towers rising ahead of them, the pillars surrounding the immediate grounds, the sparse forests encircling the view. "Hopefully this will mean our dormitories are comfortable to live in, hmm?" 

Qrow chuckled at his sister's rare use of humour. Though her face quickly grew stony once more, the silence between them as they neared the main building was a relatively comfortable one. 

Only a few minutes later, they were packed into the main hall, standing stiffly in the front-left corner of the crowd. Raven kept her posture straight, eyes flitting around the large room - she looked paranoid. Qrow, on the other hand, stood with his hands in his pockets, eyes fixed on the stage in front of them. He shuffled in his spot every few seconds, irritated by the close proximity of the other first-years. His sister shot him a dirty look, but the headmaster and his deputy walked onstage before he could respond. 

The twins had met Professor Ozpin once before, when they appealed for entry. They had agreed, upon leaving, that neither of them could imagine him in front of a huge crowd of teenagers, giving a speech - he seemed a little too soft-spoken, and somewhat eccentric. But now, looking up at the headmaster, Qrow had to admit that the man had a certain unique presence: his grey hair formed a soft silver halo around his face under the overhead lights, his brown eyes sparkling a surprising copper shade from above his glasses. The dark-haired teen tried his best to stay still as the hall hushed itself. 

"Greetings," the headmaster began, surveying the hundreds of students in front of him, pushing his round glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I, as I am sure you all will know, am Professor Ozpin, your new headmaster. This," he said, gesturing to the blonde woman by his side, "is Professor Glynda Goodwitch, my right-hand woman, if you will." She gave a curt nod in acknowledgement, her hands held neatly behind her back. Qrow wasn't sure what to think of her yet. 

Since their first meeting during the application process, Qrow had taken a minor interest in Ozpin. It was nothing unusual - he just found the man intriguing, wondering what he was actually like as a headmaster, wanting to know how his odd personality transferred to training future Huntsmen and Huntresses. But now, as Ozpin spoke, Qrow was finding it hard to concentrate. Most likely he was distracted by the size of the crowd, the unusual environment, but he silently cursed himself all the same. He found himself staring blankly at the professor as he continued his speech, catching words like  _bravery_ and  _honour_ and  _responsibility_. It was daunting, yet the emotional impact seemed to miss Qrow altogether. 

Just as Ozpin's monologue was drawing to a close, Raven looked at Qrow from his right with a raised eyebrow. It was a subtle movement, but her twin knew it well, and answered with a confused frown. Raven just looked away, turning on the spot as the students were dismissed. 

"No time to daydream, brother." Qrow's expression soured as he followed her, trying to ignore the obvious part in the crowd as they walked through. 

~~~~~ 

Qrow really hadn't known what to expect going into the so-called "initiation", other than the fact that it would somehow decide their teams. Without the typical upbringing of their new peers, the Branwen twins never had the chance to excitedly discuss their future teams, the weapons they wanted to make, the urban legends about the different schools. All Qrow knew was that he wanted to make this count for once in his life. 

He couldn't deny the pique in his curiosity as they neared the cliff the next day, however. There was a long line of wooden boards laid out near the edge, with professors Ozpin and Goodwitch standing to one side. The twins shared a meaningful look for a couple of seconds before they arranged themselves in front of two boards, side by side. There was a girl much shorter than the two of them to Qrow's right, her face hidden by an ebony curtain of hair, and a faunus boy with large antlers on Raven's left. 

Noticing other students down the line stepping onto their respective boards, Qrow tentatively stuck a foot out and pressed down on the wooden rectangle in front of him. It sunk a little under his weight, and he smirked - springboards. He could immediately guess what was going to happen next, and the smile playing on his sister's features told him that she could as well. 

"For years you have trained to become warriors," Ozpin spoke when all the students were stationary, "and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." The headmaster appeared even more somber than he had the day before while giving his introductory speech, but Qrow couldn't detect any ill intention in the older man's warm eyes. As Glynda continued to explain the task at hand - it seemed simple enough - Qrow curiously examined Ozpin's appearance. The professor didn't look significantly older than Goodwitch in his physique, and the teen guessed her age to be in the early thirties at the very most. But there were certainly a few unusual things about Ozpin: his grey hair was the most obvious, falling gently around his pale face like a mane, and the fact that he carried a cane intrigued Qrow. He didn't appear to have any difficulty walking. Was it his weapon?  _Interesting_ _._

"...the fellow student you are partnered with will remain your partner for the next four years," Professor Goodwitch informed them, Qrow tuning back in to the mini-lecture. "Assuming you manage to stay the full four years, that is." 

"You shall be paired with whoever you first make eye contact with," Ozpin continued, sending an open and challenging glance to each student in turn. Qrow heard Raven's breath catch, and he briefly looked to her: red eyes met brighter red as they silently communicated their need to remain together. "It is in your best interest to begin working well as a team immediately." 

Just a few seconds later, initiates at one end of the line began being launched into the air, a few of them screaming through the freefall. Qrow could see everyone to his sides crouching into varying positions, preparing for their landing strategies; he and his twin remained standing normally. Professor Ozpin gave the two a puzzled glance, and Qrow responded with a smirk. 

Raven was sent flying off the cliff, and then the wind was whistling through his ears, biting at his prominent cheekbones. He smiled quietly to himself before quickly shifting. 

As a crow, the Huntsman in training had always found himself to be more agile. It wasn't that he preferred it - there were plenty of human things he missed, like alcohol and masturbation - but it was often much more convenient than his lanky six-foot-two frame. He beat twice at the air with his wings, stronger than arms could ever be comparatively, and soared above the trees. 

He kept his beady red eyes on the lookout for his sister as he flew, determined to find her before anybody else did. But the sky was crowded with other corvids,  _real_ birds, and he couldn't distinguish between their jet-black feathers and pointed beaks.  _Shit_ , he thought, realising that he'd flown much further out than intended; Raven probably would've tried to land as quickly and as far back as possible to draw attention away from herself. Qrow cursed again, suddenly jackknifing and speeding towards the ground. 

"What the hell, man?!" came an obnoxiously loud voice as he landed. Qrow winced, screwing his now-human eyes shut to brace himself for whatever cruel trick the universe had decided to play on him this time. "Are you a  _bird_?" 

Turning slowly and opened his eyes, Qrow was met with a largely-built blond, most likely around a year younger than him. He was classically handsome in a way that irritated the other teen a little - tall and broad stature, yellow-toned hair, light blue eyes - and wore an expression of mild shock on his square-jawed face. Qrow pressed a thumb and forefinger into the bridge of his nose just between his eyes, sighing dejectedly. 

"Yeah, I'm a bird," he said, voice heavy, adding, "sometimes." 

"Are you a faunus or something?" the other asked, eyebrows knitted in utter confusion. "I swear that's not how faunus work, dude--is it your semblance?" 

"No," Qrow growled, dropping his hand from his face. He could practically feel the energy draining out of him in anticipation of having to deal with this guy for the next four years, and wished desperately in his head that the blond had already made eye contact with someone else. 

"Jeez, no need to get all defensive on me. We've just met, partner." The taller boy didn't look confused any more, but did seem a little pissed off. Qrow deflated, begrudgingly extending a bony hand. "I'm Taiyang, nearly eighteen years old. And you?" 

"Qrow. Nineteen in a couple of months." Taiyang raised his eyebrows for a second before taking a step back, placing his hands on his hips. 

"So then, Qrow. Great name by the way, suits ya. We gonna get going?" 

~~~~~ 

It wasn't long before Raven met up with the two boys, bringing a smaller girl trailing along with her. Qrow recognised her as the one he'd been standing next to back up on the cliff; now her dark hair was swept away from her face, revealing brilliant silver eyes. 

Qrow was deeply relieved to have his sister around, a familiar face refreshing after a few too many minutes of Taiyang's rambling. The kid wasn't so much annoying as tiring (although Qrow found himself getting annoyed anyway), and he knew it would be easier to settle into his usual near-silence with his sibling. 

From what could be interpreted on first sight, the two girls seemed to be getting on fine: they were chatting quietly as they trudged through the thick undergrowth, ponting possible hazards out to each other as they moved forwards. Qrow allowed himself a small smile, pleased that his sister hadn't immediately shut the girl out. 

"Hey!" he called, rough voice shooting between the trees. "Over here!" Taiyang whipped his head around to see what was going on, seeming to come to a quick understanding once he spotted the stark similarities between the Branwens' appearances. 

"Brother," Raven responded when she spotted him, motioning for her partner to follow her. 

"We fucked that one up, didn't we?" Qrow blurted out, chuckling as he gestured between the four of them. "Sorry I couldn't find ya, sis. We should end up on the same team anyway, hopefully." 

There were a few seconds of awkward silence - of Taiying glaring at him and the other girl looking away with pink cheeks - before he realised his mistake. "Oh, shit! I didn't mean, uh..." 

"This is Summer," his sister said calmly, cueing the white-cloaked girl to look up. She had an innocent face, and raised one hand to give them a delicate wave. "I'm Raven, your partner's twin," the taller girl added, turning to face Taiyang. Qrow noticed sapphire eyes float down his sister's frame, lingering on her chest and hips, and felt anger clutch at his throat for a second. 

"Taiyang. Pleasure to meet you." The muscular teen had a self-assured grin playing on his lips, and the white flash of his teeth sent a bitter spark through Qrow's veins.  _Try not to hate the guy, Qrow,_ he thought to himself, rolling his shoulders to relieve the tension that resided there.  _You wanna be a team player, you've gotta start acting like one._

"I'm Qrow," he introduced himself to Summer, acknowledging her with a quick nod. Her lips quirked up on one side, and she nodded back. Maybe his sister hadn't drawn the short straw, after all. "Let's keep moving." 

~~~~~

During the first part of their journey to the temple, their apparent goal, the Branwen twins learnt that Taiyang had been attending Signal Academy for combat training since they'd let him into the school, while Summer went to a much smaller training facility on the far coast of Vale. Qrow and Raven chose to keep the majority of their past to themselves for the time being, simply explaining that they'd always lived outside the kingdoms, which had given them the experience necessary to get through the application without having had any formal training. The other two certainly seemed interested, but the twins waved their questions away, promising to answer more of them at a better time. 

As they neared a clearing, Qrow spotted a lone Grimm hiding behind a nearby shrub. "Your schools prepare you for actually killing these fuckers?" he grunted, eyes narrowing. The other three quickly noticed what he had seen, and automatically crouched behind a small cluster of trees. 

"It's an Ursa," Summer half-whispered, one hand resting cautiously on the holster wrapped around her right leg. "We're going to need to get around it, front and back. It looks pretty big." Qrow swallowed his surprise at the girl's knowledgeability, mentally slapping himself for assuming things about the other students based on first impressions. 

"Alright," Raven replied. The pale teen rose rapidly from their hiding spot, darting out into the small clearing. As her partner snuck around the edges of the grassy circle, Qrow grasped Taiyang's shoulder. 

"Try to incapacitate it," he muttered, waiting a moment for comprehension to flash in his partner's eyes. "We don't wanna be dealing with any injuries after our first ever Grimm encounter, now, do we?" Taiyang grimaced before getting up to attack the Ursa from the side; Qrow started running through the trees on the opposite side to where Summer had gone. 

Raven was shouting wildly in an attempt to maintain the creature's attention, occasionally lunging forwards to slash it across its broad chest. The Grimm would roar and swipe at her, but she was too nimble for its large and clumsy form. Taiyang took a relatively similar approach, striding in from one side to stab it. The Ursa became confused, and Qrow called out his approval to his partner. 

Once he got behind their opponent, Qrow could just above make out Summer hiding a few metres away. Her stealth wasn't surprising, considering her size and reserved personality, but that didn't make it any less impressive. 

As the Ursa began to stagger, Qrow bared his teeth and clutched the hilt of his sword. Taiyang and his sister were still dealing it minor injuries, disorienting it with their speed and agility. Qrow saw an opportunity, and took his strike. 

Leaping forward, he swung his weapon in a precise arc aimed at the creature's leg. Upon impact, the Grimm screeched, freezing in pain and then turning to face its attacker - but it was too late. Qrow's sword sliced through its limb, cutting flesh and bone alike, ripping the appendage from its body. Black smoke oozed out of the wound like syrup, thick and potent, and Qrow drew his sword away. 

At that moment, Summer clearly saw her time to shine. Before the other three could even blink, she was flying silently through the air and onto the Ursa's back, drawing two ornate daggers from her white cloak in the process. She landed right on target, legs hooked onto the beast's shoulders; with a grunt of exertion, she plunged both of her knives into the back of its neck, pulling them apart forcefully once they were up to the hilt, tearing its head from its torso. Without another sound, the girl jumped down from its toppling body, landing just a foot away from her partner and sheathing the daggers. 

"That went pretty smoothly, I'd say," she said with a grin, panting. Raven just raised her thick eyebrows, looking uncharacteristically impressed. Taiyang laughed, and Qrow let out a long whistle. "What do you think?" 

"I think," the male Branwen replied, "that we're gonna do just fine." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this is still going okay! Let me know if my characterisation is believable so far. I'm still enjoying writing this, even if it is just a self-indulgent trashbucket.

The remainder of their initiation mission went according to plan, the Emerald Forest proving relatively easy to navigate. The twins and their pairs stuck together the whole time, if occasionally reluctantly so. Qrow couldn't yet say he was pleased about being paired with Taiyang, but he was warming to the younger teen a little. It was a start. 

Once they were back in the immediate school grounds, the four of them were quickly ushered (along with the rest of the other first-years) back into the main hall. Qrow silently hoped that the rest of Beacon's inner architecture wasn't so unwelcoming, so cold, and his sister's tense shoulders and dark eyes showed that she agreed. 

Luckily, the success of the initiation - which apparently extended to everyone else in their year, perhaps minus a couple of the usual delinquents - meant that their headmaster was in a slightly cheerier mood now. Ozpin stood to one side of the stage with a pleased look on his face, peering over his crooked glasses to watch his new students mill into the high-ceilinged hall. 

As the oddly ceremonious team-forming procedure began, Qrow found himself focusing not on his peers or the teams they were being put in, but on Professor Ozpin. He couldn't help it: the man was like a magnet, all grey and silver and green and shining, drawing his ruby eyes in even if he tried to pull away. It was disconcerting to say the least, yet Qrow shouldn't find a reason to be upset by it, so he let the time pass this way - it was more interesting than actually trying to pay attention to what he and Glynda were saying, anyway. 

"This is going on for way longer than I thought it would, huh." Qrow snapped out of his daze, turning to face Taiyang, who looked painfully bored. "I didn't think reading out a bunch'a names could even take this long." 

"Tell me about it," Qrow grumbled, returning his gaze to the stage. They were further away than he and Raven had been during the introductory assembly, and he felt a small amount of anxiety bubbling low in his stomach at the thought of having to get up there. It wasn't that he was shy; it was just that he had never gotten accustomed to public speaking or large social events as a kid. He wanted to shrink in on himself. He wanted to shift and fly away. 

"Thank you," Ozpin spoke into his microphone, sweeping his arm vaguely to the side to indicate the four students onstage to move on. "Now, for our next team - could Qrow and Raven Branwen come up, along with Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long." 

Qrow's face paled at the sound of his name, toes and fingertips buzzing with the rush of blood around his body. He looked to his sister, whose features had taken on an expression of steely determination, and then to their partners. Gulping, he followed just behind Taiyang as they made their way to the side of the stage, his eyes trained to the floor to avoid curious glances and accusatory stares. 

"Ms Rose, Mr Xiao Long, Ms Branwen, Mr Branwen," Ozpin spoke, his smooth voice drawing out the vowels of their surnames like lines of poetry. "You will form team STRQ, led by Summer Rose."  _Stark. Pure white._

Qrow turned an appraising smile to Summer, met by sparkling irises full of shock and pride. Taiyang crossed his arms and grinned at their leader, while Raven simply took her partner's hand and grasped it for a second before releasing it. Qrow felt a surge of  _something_ in his chest, but looked away before he could dwell on it. 

After that, the noise in the hall seemed muffled, as if coming from above the water while the four of them were diving. They were trapped in their own bubble of sound, murmuring to each other as they left the building, though Qrow couldn't remember what any of them really said. Summer held a slip of paper in her hand with a number on it, which led them to their room, the room they would be sleeping in for the next four years. 

"So," Taiyang piped up as their dorm room's door was opened, "this is pretty neat." 

Back then, Qrow would've had to disagree. The room was small, smaller than he would've liked: the four beds were packed closer together than he'd been expecting, with less space to get around, and there was only one window.  _I don't know what you were expecting, idiot,_ he scolded himself silently, trailing behind his sister as they entered their new bedroom. 

"Does anyone want to move stuff around?" Summer asked, voice gentle. Raven and Taiyang shook their heads and began decided on which bed to call dibs on, but Qrow just squinted at the window, the carpet, the walls. "Qrow? Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, I'm just..." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck and trying to look normal. "I'm fine. Just wondering if there's any way we could get these beds a little further apart, y'know?" 

"I'm not sure if that's possible, brother," Raven interjected, calm as ever. He scowled at her, slinging a bag off of his shoulder and into a corner. "Don't look at me like that. We might have to make compromises, you knew this." 

"No, no, don't worry," Summer said, a little hurried. "Is there anything specific you want to change, or...?" 

"He doesn't like sleeping too near to others," Raven said with a smirk. Qrow growled, but his cheeks reddened, fists clenched and starting to tremble. 

"We could try and get one of the beds against that wall instead," suggested Taiyang, pointing to the wall with the door in it, "and line the other three up like this. There should be a bit more space then." Summer's face lit up. 

"Perfect!" she exclaimed, and started instructing her team to sort their new living space out. Qrow quickly shook his embarrassment off, telling himself that he had to get used to feeling a little more vulnerable around these people. 

Suddenly, just as they were finishing up their task, there was a knock on the door. It was loud enough to make the four of them jump, as they hadn't spoken for at least ten minutes. After a moment, their leader headed to the door and opened it wide. 

"Oh, hello professor!" she greeted chirpily, tension seeping out of her posture. "Is there something wrong?" 

"No, no." It was the unusual accent of Professor Ozpin. "I simply wanted to check on you all - especially the Branwen twins." Summer opened the door wider, allowing the headmaster to enter the dormitory. Raven stepped forward to smile politely at him, while Qrow remained seated on his bed. 

"If you don't mind me asking," Raven said, "why have you specifically decided to check on us?" 

"Oh, I don't mind," Ozpin chuckled, looking round the room. His chocolate eyes lingered on Qrow, making him feel slightly small. "I just wanted to see that you two were settling in. I understand that this is a rather... unusual environment for you." He raised an eyebrow, looking to the other two briefly. "I take it you are aware of Ms and Mr Branwen's background?" 

"Kinda," replied Taiyang. "We know enough for now, I'd say." 

"Good. That's good." Ozpin's bespectacled gaze returned to the twins once more. "Now, if there's anything that we can do to make your time at Beacon more comfortable, please do not hesitate to let me know. My office is always open, and I am more than happy to help the two of you adjust - and the same goes for your teammates." 

"Thanks," Qrow said roughly, breaking eye contact to stare at his shoes. He was exhausted. 

"I shan't keep you any longer," the headmaster assured them, already heading out the door, thanking Summer as he left. Their team leader closed the door behind him and sighed, immediately flopping down onto her bed. 

The rest of the evening passed slowly, Qrow's eyelids falling shut more than once as he tried half-heartedly to uphold a conversation with the others. Truth be told, he hadn't slept for two nights in a row in anticipation of their arrival here, and it was finally catching up to him. Insomnia wasn't a new foe in his life - more of an old rival, almost a begrudging acquaintance - but now, sinking into his new soft mattress, he wanted nothing more than a few solid hours of sleep. 

As the time for sleep finally came around, the twins shot each other a meaningful look that meant they needed to talk. They spoke in hushed tones in the corner of the room, Qrow's voice a low rumble and Raven's an urgent whisper. Their partners looked to each other without words, Taiyang's pale brows furrowed, Summer's silver eyes widened with concern. As the siblings shuffled back to their respective beds, the other two sank back down into their mattresses hesitantly. 

"It's nothing to worry about," Qrow heard his sister mutter to Summer a minute later through the darkness. "I'll tell you in the morning." 

~~~~~

The morning came quickly - too quickly for team STRQ's liking, all four of them groaning in unison at the sound of the alarm - and brought with it a yellow brilliance, cutting through the small gap in the curtains like a knife. Qrow rubbed at his eyes, bleary as he dragged himself out of bed, moving to rummage through one of his still-packed backs for his uniform. 

"Is Taiyang still asleep?" Summer's voice startled Qrow from his sleep deprived haze, and he paused with his shirt half unbuttoned to look to his partner.  _For fuck's sake._

"Hey, sleepyhead," he prompted, prodding the blond when he didn't stir. "Taiyang. Tai. Come on, get up." 

"Urgh... What?" Taiyang's hair looked like a bird's nest, and Qrow told him as much, earning him a lazy slap across the forearm. Raven shook her head in distaste, already fully dressed and waiting straight-spined on her bed. 

As they filed out of their dormitory and wandered down the seemingly endless corridors of Beacon, Qrow could spot many of the other students eyeing him and his sister weirdly. He felt paranoid, hunching over and trying to look at the carpet - burgundy, well-worn, frayed - instead of the prying eyes around him. After a few minutes, Taiyang seemed to notice. 

"The hell's their problem?" he muttered to Qrow, leaning over conspicuously. "You didn't, like, sleepwalk and do anything weird in the night, did you?" 

"Nope," Qrow hissed, taking a step away. He peeked at Raven in the corner of his eye, envious of her confident posture and challenging stare. He could be intimidating, sure, but he hadn't mastered the art of defending himself without starting a fight. So, in situations like these, he just shrunk in on himself, hoping to whatever gods were listening that he looked unapproachable enough to ward off any sort of conflict. 

Ignoring the worried whispers that followed them through the corridors, team STRQ made their way to their first class of the day: history. They followed their leader up to the second row of seats, Qrow biting back his complaints of  _there's literally an empty row right at the back, come on, why aren't we sitting there?!_ as he sat at the outer edge of the long desk. 

Professor Oobleck was definitely too hyperactive for Qrow's running-on-three-hours-of-sleep brain to keep up with, that much was certain within the first five minutes of the lesson. Glancing down the line, it was evident that the other three were faring better than he was (minus the occasional drooping of Taiyang's eyelids). Summer seemed to be listening attentively; Raven was dutifully taking notes, if managing to look generally displeased while doing so; Taiyang was at least staying awake. But Qrow was wiped out, elbow skidding across the desk as he tried to rest his chin on his hand, the already-blurry image of Oobleck whizzing around the room wobbling as he tried to take any of the lecture in. 

"Does anyone have any questions?" the professor asked after yet another barrage of information. The room went silent. "Alright then!" 

The lecture went on and on, and Qrow sank further and further into an unwilling sleep, his forehead finally hitting the desk a minute before the end of the class, waking him with a start. 

"Mr Brawen, are you quite alright?" Professor Oobleck asked as the young man came to. "Tired, by any chance?" 

"You could say that," Qrow groaned, leaning back in the padded chair. Oobleck frowned. 

"And that, students, is why coffee is extremely useful!" Professor Oobleck exclaimed, pausing for a moment to think before adding, "Not that I'm encouraging the practise of pulling an all-nighter, as they say. Be sure to rest well for tomorrow! Class dismissed!" 

~~~~~

The team returned to their dorm after that first lesson, basking in the lazy joy of a free period. Qrow immediately landed face-first on his bed upon arrival, mumbling something about needing caffeine into his pillow. 

"Are you still not sleeping, brother?" taunted his twin from the other side of the room. 

"You know I'm not," said Qrow as he rolled onto his back. Summer gave him a sympathetic smile. 

"Nervous about your first night in a new place, huh?" 

"Something like that," he replied, avoiding eye contact. The team leader let it go, moving to sit next to Taiyang on his bed. 

"What did we all think of Professor Oobleck, then?" Summer asked, prompting a chuckle from the boy next to her. 

"I couldn't really tell," Taiyang said, leaning back to rest his weight on his elbows. "I was nearly out of it that whole time. History's not really my thing." 

"I don't mind him, actually," Qrow joined in, pulling himself up to rest with his back against the wall. "But... to be honest, his hair makes him look kinda deranged." 

"Says you, king of emo," Taiyang mocked, quickly answered by the other boy leaning over and punching him in the shoulder. "Hey, fuck you!" 

"Not my type," Qrow deadpanned, and Taiyang snorted. "What about you, sis? Are you finding our history class  _thrilling_ so far?" 

"It was fine," Raven said, tone clipped. Her brother rolled his eyes.  _Ever the eloquent one._

They passed the time for a while in a similar fashion, chatting about their opinions of the school so far, how they were coping sleeping away from home - in their new home - and what they were looking forward to. It was easy to see Raven trying to remain disconnected from the others, but she was being coaxed out of her shell, slowly but surely. Qrow tried to feel proud, but mostly he just felt tired. 

"Hey Qrow," Taiyang said, shaking his partner out of his half-sleep. "We're heading to the cafeteria to see what it's like. Got half an hour or so of spare time left to kill. You coming?" 

"Nah, I think I'll stay behind for a bit," Qrow replied, voice low and rough. "I'll catch up with you guys later." 

Raven sighed, but didn't say anything to protest, and the three of them were out of the door quickly after that. The teen yawned, flopping back onto the mattress as he listened to the sound of his teammates' footsteps retreating down the hallway.  _You've gotta start socialising properly at some point, Qrow,_ he thought to himself, but shrugged the voice off as he got comfortable. He was way too sleep deprived to deal with his own internal dialogue, anyway. 

~~~~~

The next time Qrow opened his eyes, something felt off. Instantly upon waking, every muscle in his body tensed, prepared to take on whatever invisible threat was lurking. Blood-red eyes scanned the room, a lightly tanned hand reaching automatically for a hidden knife where all it found was the material of school uniform trousers. And then it clicked. 

_Right. I go to school now._

Complaining to himself, Qrow scrambled at his bedside table to check the alarm clock. He’d never been too good with numbers, but he knew that it basically said “LATE”. Cursing with almost every step he took, he half-jogged to the end of the corridor before giving up and sinking into his usual skulking posture, trudging to the classroom he was meant to be in forty minutes ago.

“—the value of this above all other types of dust are questionable at best, but…” The melodic female voice that greeted Qrow as he walked through the door drifted away and as the teacher spotted him, her groomed brows and small lips hardening into straight lines. “And who might you be, interrupting a lesson?”

“Qrow Branwen,” he answered, squinting to read the blackboard behind her. Dust studies, he remembered after a second. “You’re… Professor Violet, right?” 

“No ‘Professor’ business here, please,” she said curtly, gesturing to a seat at the front. “I believe your team is waiting for you here. I’ll speak to you once the class is over.”

Qrow tried not to wince at Violet’s harsh tone, moping his way into the empty seat next to Summer. He still felt groggy and unrested, struggling to make sense of the words their professor was saying and writing. He tried to sneak a look at Summer’s neatly organised notes; she slapped him lightly on the hand and covered them up, but her silver eyes glittered with amusement.

Only twenty minutes later, the class was finished, and Qrow didn’t feel like he’d learned anything. Not because he knew a lot about dust or something – hell, that was probably the area of study he knew the least about – but simply due to his poor attention span. He could only groan lifelessly as Taiyang patted him reassuringly on the back as the rest of the team left, letting himself sag onto the desk before him. 

“Qrow, was it?” Violet asked once the rest of the students had left. He nodded, and she placed her stick of chalk down by the board. “What was _so_ important that you decided you didn’t even need half of my lesson today, hmm?”

“I overslept,” the raven-haired teen admitted, words muffled by a blazer sleeve. Violet snickered.

“Overslept for nearly three hours?”

“I had a free period second,” Qrow said, steadily controlling the anger seeping into his voice. The professor frowned and tapped her foot in disapproval, then sighed. She reached up to release her long, lilac hair from its tight ponytail, then grabbed her Scroll from an inside pocket of her jacket.

Tuning out the sound of Violet’s phone call, Qrow let his gaze wander around the room. It looked pretty much the same as the history classroom, if a little bigger, and had posters and diagrams decorating its clean white walls up to the ceiling. Places like these always had the undesirable effect of making him feel stupid; he shifted in his seat. 

“…I swear the students you bring here keep getting worse and worse every year, Ozpin,” Violet said into the Scroll, exasperated. “You should probably come and see him. He doesn’t seem easily disciplined to me.”

Hearing the name of the headmaster, Qrow gulped. He wasn’t scared of Professor Ozpin whatsoever, but having the head of the school called in made his slip-up seem far more serious. Not for the first time that day, he found himself wishing that he could melt into his chair, shrinking until he was out of sight and out of mind.

“Don’t worry,” said Violet, interrupting his doleful train of thought, “I’m not that mad at you. I just think it’s ridiculous that you’ve messed up this much on your first day of classes. I think we can forget this little mishap after today if this doesn’t happen again, yes?”

Qrow was about to reply when the door handle creaked, the door then opening to reveal the tall figure of Professor Ozpin. The headmaster had an unnervingly neutral expression on his ghostly face, and he tapped lightly on the wooden doorframe with his cane to announce his presence, even though the other two were already looking at him.

"You said it would be wise of me to come and speak with Mr Branwen, Violet?” said Ozpin as he entered the classroom. The dust studies teacher confirmed this, then started packing her things away, explaining that she had a meeting to attend and had to leave. Ozpin waved her off with a delicate hand, keeping his dark amber gaze on Qrow almost the entire time.

"I’m sorry, professor, I—“

“Don’t apologise, Mr Branwen,” Professor Ozpin interjected, pulling Violet’s chair around from behind her desk and sitting upright on it. “Explain.”

“Oh man. I…” Qrow trailed off, looking anywhere but the grey-haired professor. “I overslept. Not, like, from the morning, but… We had a free period. I needed a nap, okay? I overdid it. I said I’m sorry.” Ozpin sighed.

“There’s no need to get so defensive. I simply want to understand how you managed such an indiscretion on your first full day here.” 

“I don’t know,” muttered Qrow, shame growing in the pit of his stomach, where his heart now lay.

“I understand that coming to Beacon is a rather large change for you and your sister, Mr Branwen,” Ozpin said, gentler now. Qrow allowed his eyes to flick up to meet the other man’s, their warm hue less imposing than he expected. “It will certainly take you two a while to get used to living in such a seemingly strange environment. I imagine it was a lack of sleep last night that got you in this position – am I mistaken?” Qrow shook his head. “I thought not. Believe it or not, I do want you to feel safe and welcome here. I would appreciate it if you could bring up any difficulties you experience with me or another member of staff _before_ you end up arriving over halfway through a lesson. Is that acceptable?”

Qrow was at a loss for words; his mouth felt as if it was full of tar, his teeth sticking together, tongue leaden and thick. Something nameless held his throat as he tried to come up with a response, and it seemed to tighten every time he met those copper eyes over those ridiculous glasses. Eventually, he just nodded, crossing his arms in front of him. There was a brief moment when it appeared that Ozpin was going to say something else, but the older man quickly shut his mouth and turned away.

“Please do not waste your time here, Mr Branwen,” the headmaster said, an undercurrent of despondency just detectable as he spoke. “I see great potential in you. I would hate to see you miss out because you are too caught up what you were not supposed to be.”

_Yeah,_ Qrow thought bitterly, _whatever that means._ He resisted the pull of Ozpin’s gaze until the professor let him leave, and then headed straight for the cafeteria, where he knew his teammates would be waiting for him. 

**Author's Note:**

> Just to let everyone know, the "mature" rating may not be permanent. I haven't decided what rating it will end up with in the end.


End file.
